Kolkata, June 4 (IANS) West Bengal’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief MLA Humayun Kabir on Thursday remarked that the BJP’s target is to “finish Trinamool Congress” in the state, while observing that, given the functioning of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led party, a split was “bound to happen”.
As many as 58 out of the 80 elected legislators of Trinamool Congress, led by expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, submitted a resolution on Wednesday carrying the signatures of the 58 legislators, seeking recognition both as the official block of the party in the Assembly as well as the official principal opposition party in the state.
Later on Wednesday, the Speaker accepted the resolution.
During an interaction with IANS, Kabir said: “This (split) was bound to happen. I have been saying this for the past six months.”
The former Trinamool leader alleged that “atrocities” were meted out on party leaders by Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, party general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee.
“Money was being taken to give tickets for the MLA’s election or for a position in the party. I had repeatedly brought this to Mamata Banerjee’s notice. But she did not take any strict action and left everything to her nephew. Now whatever was meant to happen has happened,” he said.
Further, he said: “BJP’s target is to finish Trinamool Congress in West Bengal. 60 per cent of the Trinamool Congress was finished after the Assembly election results. BJP is now planning to finish the rest 40 per cent. They are running plan B. Ritabrata Banerjee has joined (BJP’s) plan B.”
“Whether it’s Mamata Banerjee or Ritabrata Banerjee, no one will survive. Everything will be finished,” he added.
Significantly, right after MLA Ritabrata Banerjee’s expulsion from the Trinamool, he was named as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the resolution by the party’s new bloc, which was accepted by the Assembly Speaker.
Responding to questions about the new Trinamool bloc announcing Mamata Banerjee as their advisor, he said: “Mamata Banerjee does not have such a misfortune that she will advise those who betrayed her.”
Targeting Ritabrata Banerjee for his “betrayal”, the AJUP chief said: “He is dishonest and a traitor. Despite being expelled from the CPI-M, he was given so much respect in the Trinamool Congress, in the form of a Rajya Sabha seat and was even given a ticket to contest as MLA.”
“Mamata Banerjee will advise people like them…what are they even thinking?” he remarked.
Asked whether he would help Mamata Banerjee if she sought his assistance, Kabir maintained: “On a personal level, if someone calls me for a meeting, I will go and meet them directly and listen to what they have to say.”
On whether AJUP will form an alliance with any party in the coming days, he said: “Chances are very less. My party will contest individually in all the elections, whether civic body polls or parliamentary elections.”
Regarding his plan to build a Babri Masjid-like mosque in Murshidabad district, Kabir said: “The construction of the mosque is underway, and its inauguration will take place in 2028.”
His decision to construct a mosque modelled on the demolished Babri Masjid was one of the reasons for Kabir’s expulsion from the Trinamool.
–IANS
cg/vd